The March issue of the IUCN SSC Bulletin highlights results of the Pacific Tuna Commission meeting, specialist group news and IUCN Red List training information.
April 2012: The March issue of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission (SSC) highlights the results of the Pacific Tuna Commission meeting, specialist group news and IUCN Red List training information.
The Bulletin notes that fishing countries of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) have agreed to protect the oceanic whitetip shark based on a proposal from the US, but that the Australian proposal to ban the intentional setting of purse seine nets on whale sharks to catch associated aggregations of tuna was blocked.
The Amphibians Specialist Group reports that “FrogLog 101” is now online. This edition of the Bulletin focuses on Europe, North Africa, and West Asia, and features news from Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey, Iran, Italy and Switzerland.
The new Deer Specialist Group reports on: status, distribution and aspects of ecology of Alpine Musk Deer in Uttrakhand Himalayas, India; and a preliminary survey report on distribution of Chinese water deer in Hanshan and Chuzhou area, Anhui province, China.
The Tapir Specialist Group notes: the availability of the final report of the Fifth International Tapir Symposium held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in October 2011; and the new Tapir Specialist Group Conservation Fund (TSGCF) 2012 Funding Cycle Call for Proposals.
Finally, the Bulletin highlights a one-day training session on the IUCN Red List, which took place at the International Academy for Nature Conservation on the Isle of Vilm, Germany, as part of the Klaus Toepfer Fellowship Programme. Participants discussed how to apply the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria at the global and regional levels, and completed a sample assessment of species’ conservation status using the IUCN methodology. [IUCN Species Bulletin, March 2012]